Zoom Zoom

[George]

I am not a very experienced rifle shooter, but to me it seems as if a zoom wouldn't really matter that much. Even if your using a 10x....magnification doesn't make you hold the more stable or increase your proficiency at pulling the trigger without disturbing the sights.

Jake, you are right on the money if you are comparing 10x to 3-4x, but comparing 3-4x to 1 or 1.5x on stuff beyond 200-250 yards is another story. The magnification is a huge factor in hitting steel in the 275 - 350 yard range. Seeing clearly is everything. Sometimes 4-5x is best too if the FOV is favorable.

I have proved to myself several times that 200 yard group shooting is just as good at 3.5, or 4x as it is at 10x. You shoot more decisively and take less time because of the hugely reduced wobble factor. Every time I tried it, the groups at 3.5x were just about the same as the groups at 10x, they were just shot faster ;-)

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Regards,

[Jake Di Vita]

Fair enough.

Then if it were me I would get the lowest magnification possible with still being able to get a good sight picture at whatever yardage I expected to be shooting...

I like as large a field of view as possible.

That being said, I have shot to the limit of the ammunition (australian .308 fairly low grade) at 250 yards with a 2x scout scope.

I can see where that would be a problem finding an 8 inch plate in that yardage though.

[George]

Hi Jake,

Some more examples. I use a fixed 4x ACOG (TA-01 type) on my open AR and it has a 25-30% wider field of view than a Leupold VariX III 3.5-10x SET at 3.5x.

FOV means a lot, but magnification means a whole lot too when it comes to nailing LD steel at warp speed, or precisely placing shots on paper. FOV is important, but I will take a bit more mag at 300 plus if given my druthers and a stable shooting position.

I used my Leupy 3.5-10x on a real LD rifle stage at the RM3G last year (sidematch out to 700+ yards). The 6 and 8 inch plates at 4-600 yards were a bitch to find and settle on even at 10x ;-)

[Jake Di Vita]

Yeah I can see how 6 and 8 inch plates at 600 yards might be a problem...

I would just roll over and cry in the fetal position.